Underfloor Heating Systems

Nowadays, underfloor heating systems based on PVC tubing embedded in a home’s concrete slab represent state-of-the-art central heating. Hot water circulatingthrough the tubes warms the floor and then bounces off other objects in a room, warming them (and people) directly through a process known as radiant heating.

Radiant heating eliminates the respiratory problems associated with convection—along with drafts and dry, superheated air.Underfloor systems are more expensive to install than radiators butmore cost-effective over time; they rarely need service if installed correctly. Because of the embedded tubing, underfloor heating only makes sense for new construction—but pipes can be laid and the heat source and the heat source added at a later date to spread costs.

Combination Heat Systems

For both radiator systems and underfloor heating, a move away from single-sourceheating to a combination heating system is highly recommended. Investment in combination systems that utilize a renewable energy source such as solar panels or a heat pump alongside a fossil-fuel source soon pays off in lower bills for central heating. In Auckland’s climate, air-to-water heat pumps pair well with underfloor systems,

but aground source heat pump, an extremely efficienttechnology, may be able to handle all of your home’s heating and cooling needs, making it the most viable green option.Underfloor heating accounts for about 35% of central heating systems worldwide and radiators for about 60%. Want to know more about the world’s most popular and efficient central heating methods? Contact Central Heating in NZ and Heating today for a free consultation and quote.

Convected Heat Pumps vs. Gas

Here are some things to think about when considering alternatives to a blown-air convection heating system (air-to-air heat pump): Central heating installers often recommend heat pumps for their economy, quoting the installed cost at about 50 percent of the price of a gas-fueled radiator system that will warm a typical 3-bedroom home. The heat pump may seem like a great money saver—until winter comes and the need for two additional units to achieve the same warmth as the radiator system becomes obvious. With the extra units, the equipment investment needed to fully heat all of the home usingconvection will actually cost 50 percent more than a comparable gas/radiator system. Running costs for such a convection also run about 13 percent higher per month than gas—and could climb further if the cost of electricity rises.

Aside from costs, you’ll want to be aware that heat pump units emit significant and potentially irritating background noise. Heat pumps also struggle in very cold weather; if it’s freezing outside, it only makes sense that an air-to-air heat pump will encounter very little heat available for condensation from the atmosphere. Supplementary heating may be necessary. Since warm air rises, homeowners often find warmth concentrated near the ceiling, not down around feet and extremities, where it will actually create a feeling of warmth. No filter can ever remove all of the dust particles that convected heat pumps are responsible for setting in motion; coupled with the dried-out air, they produce, this can spell disaster for those with asthma. You’ll need to carefully consider all of these factors alongside convection’s true costs before choosing a system.

Advantages of Underfloor Heating

American architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s encounter with a Korean ondol in a Japanese home inspired him to invent and popularize modern underfloor heating in the early 1900s. Millions around the world agree with him that heating from below offers supreme comfort and solves a host of problems associated with central heating. New Zealand is a little late in discovering this old/new technology, but Auckland is catching up fast.

If design is important to you, chances are you don’t like the thought of radiators or forced-air heat vents lining the perimeter of your interior spaces. (There are so many more attractive things to do with all that space!)Underfloor heating offers a silent, hidden, clean alternative to central heating with convection or radiator centrals.

Clean & Green Underfloor Heating

Unlike convection, modern hydronic underfloor systems are kind to family memberswho suffer from asthma or allergies, since they don’t introduce dampness and circulate allergenic particles along with warmth. With an appropriate heat source (both ground source heat pumps and solar are possibilities), underfloor heating is completely silent. If using resources wisely is a goal, using far more energy than is necessary to keep your family comfortable, probably doesn’t make financial or environmental sense to you. Instead of routinely releasing large amounts of heat to the outdoor environment, as happens with convection, underfloor heating uses significantly less energy and can make your family feel comfortable at a lower temperature than other solutions. Maintenance requirements are low with underfloor, and the system can simultaneously heats your home’s waterat no additional cost.
Do you see your values reflected in any of these points? If so, you may be ready to make the switch from convected heat pumps or another system to clean, efficient, healthful, silent, energy-saving underfloor central heating.

Underfloor Installations by Euro

Let the European-trained experts at Central Heating in NZ and Heating introduce you to the benefits of underfloor systems. Compared with convection, you’ll experience some significant central heating differences(especially warm-up and cool-down times) with an underfloor system. And although underfloor heating is compatible with a variety of heat sources, there are pros and cons for each solution. We’ll explain what to expect (including cost recovery and return on investment) and design and install a system that functions just the way you need it to.

Because Central Heating in NZ and Heating employs fully licensed plumbers, electricians and gas fitters, we can offer a turnkey solution—meaning you won’t have to negotiate with and follow up the work of several contractors.Our installers know the best ways to lay tubing for a highly responsive and effective heating. In addition, we deal only with high-specification suppliers to ensure long-lasting, trouble-free service. Prices start at about $40/m2.Convection is definitely the past; radiant underfloor heating is the future. Contact Central Heating in NZ and Heating today for a free consultation and quote to secure your family’s comfort

and future energy savings today.